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tv   The Situation Room  CNN  March 29, 2013 2:00pm-4:00pm PDT

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we asked you what teams you would want to buy and why? the best tweets, 2004 red sox. played hard and dirty. no one saw them coming. best bunch of idiots only. and 96 yanks. i wouldn't change a damned thing. that's it for me. thanks for watching. we'll see you right here monday at 4:00. now mr. wolf blitzer. happening now, is it something in the water? there's been a series of some insensitive comments, downright slurs and now hasty apologies from a pair of united states congressmen. also some words coming from a rising political star. i'll speak to that star, dr. ben carson, the well known neuro surgeon who has now become a darling of the right about the words he chose to use this week when discussing the sensitive issue of gay marriage. president obama flew down to florida today to talk jobs but he also talked sports in what has suddenly become the center of the basketball universe. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room."
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we heard some extraordinary language this week which many found deeply offensive, coming from a very highly respected physician, dr. benjamin carson. he, himself, is well known having had an extraordinary background, rising from poverty to head pediatric neuro surgery at john hopkins university hospital. he has recently become a hero to the republican right after criticizing the president's aenda at the national prayer breakfast with the president sitting right next to him. now he is taking some heat for what some regard as incendiary comments about gay marriage. we invited dr. ben carson to join us now from baltimore and here he is. dr. carson, thanks very much for coming in. >> absolutely. >> let me play the clip. you were on "the sean hannity show" last night. this has generated a lot of
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controversy. then we'll discuss. listen to what you said. >> marriage is between a man and a woman. it is a well established, fundamental pillar of society. and no group, be they gays, be they namla, be they people who believe in beastiality. doesn't matter what they are. they don't get to change the definition. so it's not something that is against gays. it's against anybody who wants to come along and change the fundamental definitions of pillars of society. >> all right. you said that actually on tuesday to sean hannity. it's causing a lot of controversy. i want to give you a chance, dr. carson, to explain what you meant because it sounded like you were lumping in gay marriage with basically criminal activity whether beastiality or the man/boy love association. go ahead and explain. >> sure. okay. well, first of all, let me say that my comments are my opinion. they have nothing to do with john hopkins.
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secondly, i have always advocated equality for everyone. as a christian, we have a duty to love everyone and to love them as ourselves. so, you know, i love gay people. i love straight people. so this was really, i think, on my behalf, somewhat insensitive and i certainly apologize if i offended anyone because i was not in any way comparing gays with people who engage in beastiality or sexual child abuse. the point that i was trying to make is that there is no group that really gets to have a special dispensation so that they can change the definition of something that was established by god, you know, thousands of years ago, and has been a traditional pillar of society. you know, i feel very bad that people were offended. it was certainly not my intention. >> because it sound ed like you
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were lumping in beastiality, pedophelia, together with same sex marriage and you understand how offensive that could be. >> i see in retrospect. that was certainly not the intention at all. the intention was simply to say, that there is no group and, you know, you could pick any group of different things and i should have picked a different group of things to make a point. but, you know, one of the things i'm learning, as i spend more time on television, is how to be more artful. you know, this is a good lesson in doing that. and, you know, the basic thing that we were really talking about of course is whether a group has the ability to change a definition of marriage. and, you know, whatever the courts decide, whatever the states decide, whatever the society decides, obviously that's what we're going to live with. >> because you're not the first
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person that lumped in this notion that if there's gay marriage there will be a slippery slope. it'll lead to what you describe yourself as beastiality or pedophelia and all sorts of other outrageous examples. there have been no, sir examples that have been made before and i assume that's why off the cuff in response to that question why you lumped them all together, is that right? >> it may be sub consciously having heard that, but, you know, the fact of the matter is, i believe that gay people and straight people and any people, any two adults, have the right to freely associate themselves and to form a legal bond which gives them the right to property, visitation rights, and the other things that they're seeking. it really doesn't matter whether they're gay or straight. i think any two adults should have that ability. >> why not let them have the ability to get married?
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>> because then we're changing the definition. if we begin to change definitions, of pillars of society, where does it stop? what if in 25 years there is another group who says, i think we should change it again? you know, you have to have some standards. and god has set a standard. man is the one who likes to change things. and, you know, i'm sure there are a lot of people who will just, you don't give much credence to god. but the fact of the matter is, you know, it is my opinion. it's something that i've developed over the course of years. and again, i'm not sure that it's necessary for it to be called marriage. for them to have equal rights. nobody should have more rights than anybody el. nobody should have the right to change the definition of marriage you are old enough to remember and i certainly am when it was illegal in many states in the
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united states for a black person to marry a white person. those marriages were considered illegal until the united states supreme court stepped in and said, that is unconstitutional. >> well, the united states is a relatively young nation, and, you know, they've had some mistakes that they've learned from. but when we're talking about pillars of society i'm going far beyond the united states. i'm going back thousands of years in terms of what marriage has represented to mankind. >> so under no circumstances could you see marriage -- i think you're talking about some other unions but something short of -- something that des findfi marriage -- two individuals, two men or two women who love each other and if their church or synagogue say it is okay for them to get married you would say the united states government should prevent that? >> i'm saying -- as i said before -- if it becomes the law
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of the land we'll all have to live with it. doesn't mean that we have to accept that man has the ability to change an institution established by god. it just means we have to be loving and kind and accepting of people. >> it's legal now in many states as you know including the district of columbia, so it's been accepted by a lot of folks out there already. >> and that's perfectly fine. again, god gave man choice. and we can accept that and i think we should accept that, but there are consequences for choices. and we just have to wait and see what those will be. >> you're scheduled to give the commencement address at john hopkins university medical school at the graduation this year and i'm a graduate of john hopkins university myself but now there are some students -- some students now who are protesting the selection of you to give the commencement address based on these words, these most
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recent words you said this week about gay marriage. i wonder if you want to respond to those students. >> well, i would simply say, you know, listen to this interview. listen to some of the other interviews that i have given. you'll see that there was absolutely no intent to offend anyone or to equate those things. i certainly don't believe that. anybody who knows me knows that the last thing i would do is say something that would hurt someone. >> are you still going to give the commencement address? >> if the students want me to give it, i will give it. if they don't want me to, if it's going to cause problems for them, i will be happy to withdraw. >> i want to get your reaction to a report that came out from the american academy of pediatrics only the other day. basically affirming same sex marriage, saying children can grow up and have a loving two-parent household, two men or two women, that from a pediatric standpoint that is just fine. you're a pediatric neuro surgeon. do you agree with that
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conclusion from the american academy of pediatrics which, what, represents about a hundred thousand pediatricians in the united states? >> well, obviously i -- what i agree with is that gay people have the right of free association like everybody else. and i don't see any reason at all that they can't establish a domicile together and have legal documents drawn up to give them the kind of rights they are seeking. i fail to understand why they have to call it marriage. >> well, would it be okay from your perspective if they would be allowed to adopt children for example or raise kids in a same sex household? >> well, you know, that's something i'd have to give more thought to. i think it really kind of depends on what the statistics show. if the statistics show that children raised in that kind of a household have no disadvantage
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whatsoever, have no greater or lesser propensity in terms of their sexuality, then it will veb hard to argue against it. if it shows something different, then i think we have to take a serious look. >> well, the report from the american academy of pediatrics basically came to that conclusion that children are better off in this kind of a household than if they were just, you know, out someplace else if you will on the street orphans in some sort of home. >> well, i mean, that seems like common sense. of course you don't want them out on the street or in a place where they're not loved. and, you know, i have several patients who come from homes with two mothers or two fathers who seem to be very loving individuals. but as i've said, the proof will be in the pudding. what we really have to do is wait until, you know, substantial amount of time has gone by. we look at evidence. we make decisions based on
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evidence, not on ideology. >> could you support a republican or democratic presidential candidate who supports same sex marriage? >> absolutely. because i'm not a one issue person. you know, there are so many important issues right now and as a nation, what we're going to have to do is recognize that our ship is about to sail off niagara falls and we need to get together and find a way to turn it around rather than worrying about the barnacles on the side of it. >> are you going to -- i know you're retiring from john hopkins university from the medical school at the end of this year. there's been a lot of speculation you're thinking of jumping into politics. are you? >> you know, any time a person speaks out, for some strange reason everybody thinks they're going into politics. but actually the reason that i'm speaking out is -- and i've been doing it for 20 years.
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it's just that more people are listening now. i'm very concerned about the future of our country. i'm very concerned about what's going to happen to our children and to our grandchildren whether we will be able to give them the same kinds of opportunities. i see the same kinds of things happening in our society that happened to ancient rome and some of the other societies before their fall. i'm just hoping that maybe we can reach a point as a society where we can sit down and discuss our differences in a logical and reasonable way, not calling each other names, not getting, you know, hysterical, and i think, you know, we're smart enough people that we can actually make some real progress. let's just not, you get so emotional about everything. >> it sounds to me, dr. carson, if you really want to change the world if you will, make neameri better, it sounds like that is a good reason to become a
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politician, get elected to office, and try to make things better. wouldn't you agree? >> okay. well, wolf, you'll have to be my campaign manager then. >> i don't know if i'm any good at that. i'm just saying if your goal is to improve the world, that would be one way of doing it especially if you are retiring as a pediatric neuro surgeon. i know you've had an outstanding career at john hopkins university. all of us who are graduates of john hopkins, and i am as you know, we've always been very proud of your accomplishments over these years. >> we are so proud of you too. believe me. >> thank you very much. all of us who know your background and you spoke to the president directly at that prayer breakfast, he was sitting right next to you and you told that story and it is an amazing story. i guess i'll leave you with this thought. those of us who have known of your spectacular work as a pediatric neuro surgeon and what you've done at john hopkins university and elsewhere saving lives over the years, i guess i've been a little surprised to see how assertive you've become
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over these past few weeks in going out there and speaking publicly. i wonder if there is something i'm missing here, what's going on? >> just that it doesn't do any good to heal the organism and then put him back into a sick environment. and, you know, now that i'm reaching a point in my life where i no longer am going to be healing the organism, i'll start working on the environment. >> dr. carson, thanks again for all of the work that you've done over these years. good luck down the road. you're causing a lot of controversy as you can well imagine but i assume you understand and appreciate that and you know exactly what you're doing. >> absolutely. >> appreciate it very much, dr. carson. thanks for coming in. >> thank unchyou. >> we'd like to continue this conversation with you down the road if that is okay. >> absolutely. >> dr. carson is the director of the division of pediatric neuro surgeons at the john hopkins medical university school. thank you very much. up next more insensitive
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language emerging and more apologies from a pair of united states congressmen. so what were they thinking and what are they saying about it now? and some kind words. why this senator is smiling at a photo of jennifer aniston. the powerful gs. get great values on your favorite lexus models during the command performance sales event. this is the pursuit of perfection. like a squirrel stashes nuts, you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec® liquid gels. nothing starts working faster than zyrtec® at relieving your allergy symptoms for 24 hours. zyrtec®. love the air.
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at relieving your allergy symptoms for 24 hours. abelieve it's time to allow marriage forme to gay and lesbian couples. here's why. our daughter, emma. a gay couple in my ministry. my sister-in-law. my brother, octavio. a business partner. our moms. my son. my sister irene, a police officer. my brother keyan. my neighbor. our godson. it's time to give gay and lesbian couples the freedom to marry. it's time for marriage. oh, hi thehey!ill. are you in town for another meeting? yup, i brought my a-team. business trips add up to family time. this is my family. this is joe. hi joe! hi there! earn a ton of extra points with the double your hhonors promotion and feel the hamptonality.
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he'll find some good people to help guide him, and he'll set money aside from his first day of work to his last, which isn't rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade. lawmakers speaking sometimes without thinking. some pretty insensitive language this week from a pair, a couple of u.s. congressmen. listen to the alaska republican congressman don young talking about immigrant workers. this was in a radio interview. >> my father had a ranch. we used to hire 50 to 60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes. it takes two people to pick the same tomatoes now. it's all done by machine. >> the house speaker john boehner quickly released a statement saying congressman young's remarks were offensive and beneath the dignity of the office he holds. i don't care why he said it. there is no excuse.
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and it warrants an immediate apology. senator john mccain tweeted, don young's comments were offensive and have no place in our party or in our nation's discourse. he should apologize immediately. finally this statement from congressman young. just released a little while ago, i apologize for the insensitive term i used during an interview in ketchikan, alaska. there was no malice in my heart or intent to offend. it was a poor choice of words. let's discuss what is going on with jessica yellin, our chief political correspondent candy crowley, the anchor of cnn's "state of the union." does this hurt the republican brand when a republican congressman uses a word like that? >> it is the problem that happens to a lot of entities that when you already have a reputation for something and then someone adds to that reputation and underlines it,
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it's a problem. that's what's happened here. the republicans have been battling against more than 70% of hispanic americans voting for president obama last november, and republicans know that they have to reach out to this community and then this word gets out there from a republican congressman and it undermines it. is it fatal? no. does it help? absolutely not. >> you know, i'll point out, wolf, it is not just with latinos this hurts. a very respected republican research group just did a study and showed conservative republicans also want to see immigration reform passed and object to the positions that mitt romney took in the primary. for example conservative republican voters don't want to deport illegal immigrants, undocumented workers. they think that's just an impractical solution. so this could even hurt the republican base. so it really doesn't help the republican brand at all when you have people who are out of the sort of common realm. >> that certainly explains why
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the rush for the republican leaders to go out and condemn. >> yes. >> because they're trying now to reach out. i think there's a general inclination to support some sort of comprehensive immigration reform because it might bring back some republicans into the gop. >> well, at least it takes it off the table and then there can be some outrage, sort of this huge barrier between republicans and reaching out to the latino community. so, yes. they want immigration reform. christian conservatives actually in the south put out radio ads in favor of immigration reform. so it's going to happen. i don't think this sets that back. it's just, you know, this is not the party that needs to be dealing with this kind of comment for an entire day. >> democratic congressmen also got into some trouble. let me just put it up. representative bruce brailey of iowa tweeted this today. it's official. ohio state is the luckiest team in the tournament. hash tag, trail of tears.
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he later apologized, tweeting the tears i was referring to were the tears of cyclone fans. i have removed the tweet and apologize to anyone who was offended. these politicians get into trouble by tweeting too much. don't they? >> you know, i think, yeah. that and they need to at least look things up or something. i mean, if you don't know what the trail of tears was and you are using it sort of colloquially in some sense you might want to just kind of google for a minute and find out what it is and then think oh, that doesn't fit there. i mean, they're just tweet bfg they think. it is a bad idea. >> remember todd aken and richard murdoch during the last election when they said insensitive comments about women and rape. when we are moving toward a country that going to be majority/minority, when you're going to have more people of color and more women voting than frankly white men maybe you also need to have more people of color and more women running for office or more people running for office who are sensitive to those issues saying let me check
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that before you hit send, dude. >> good advice for all of us. just be very careful. think about it. 140 characters but a few of those can get you into real, real trouble if you're not careful. see you sunday. state of the union 9:00 a.m. eastern. got a big show? >> yeah. we're going to talk about, look. gun control, immigration, and the budget. we have lindsay graham and senator blumenthal from connecticut to talk about all of those issues. >> thanks very much. coming up the comedian jim carey unleashing on fox news. you'll find out why, just ahead. plus the chief justice of the united states john roberts is one of the latest victims of a serious crime that affects millions of americans. we'll explain right here in "the situation room." [ male announcer ] i've seen incredible things.
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happening now the actor and comedian jim carrey at war with fox news. you'll find out why just ahead. sarah palin may be railing against big political consultants but are new documents revealing a different story when it comes to her political action committee? and president obama heads to florida to talk jobs and hoops. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." would you pay anywhere from a penny to ten cents more for gas if it meant we could all breathe cleaner air? you're probably going to have to pay anyway. the epa released preliminary rules to reduce sulfur in gasoline. the debate is already seriously
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under way. they take effect in the year 2017. here is cnn's dan lothian. >> reporter: wolf, this is getting a lot of attention today because with warmer weather on the horizon people are starting to make summer travel plans. and they're closely watching the price at the pump. it's the price of driving a car, filling up, app watching the dollars add up. but what goes in burns out. and the environmental protection agency is trying to make sure it's much cleaner. ultimately costing you more. >> i think it's important that we do health but i think the whole environmental police have gone too far. >> reporter: how much more will you pay? one industry survey says up to nine cents per gallon but an administration official strongly disputes that citing an epa analysis that shows it would be less than one penny a gallon. >> i think it would be worth it in the long term. prices are going up anyhow so why not put it toward something you get something out of? > i'd pay a little bit more for that, definitely. if it is better for the
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environment. >> reporter: the epa wants to cut sulfur in gasoline by 60% as a way to reduce smog, claiming the proposed rules would save up to 2400 lives a year and prevent 23,000 cases of respiratory ailments. air quality experts say it's a significant advancement. >> it's huge. we would rank it as president obama's chief air pollution control strategy for his entire second term. it is that important for public health and welfare. >> reporter: administration officials say 16 of the 111 refineries would have to undergo upgrades, investing in new technologies in order to produce cleaner fuel. but the main trade association that represents refiners is skeptical, wants more details, and called the epa's proposals ownerous. >> when you combine that with the other tsunami of rules that we have, adding more ethanol to gasoline that makes absolutely no sense. the coming into conformance with standards, rule after rule after
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rule that the american driving public is going to be hit and hit hard. >> reporter: an administration official told me the epa got extensive input from refiners and the auto industry and that they were all supportive of this effort. now, the stricter limits are still a ways off. there's about a year for public comment and then slowly phased in beginning in 2017 and fully in place about a decade later. wolf? >> thanks very much. some political news we're watching here in "the situation room" right now. senator mark kirk has received plenty of get well wishes since suffering a stroke back in 2012. now the illinois republican is showing off a very special one from the actress jennifer aniston. tweeting this picture with the words "thanks, jennifer aniston, for the well wishes." the spokesman says he doesn't know her personally. kirk made an emotional return to the senate in january surrounded by cheers and applause from colleagues as he mounted the chamber steps. we'll take a quick break and
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...and we inspected his brakes for free. -free is good. -free is very good. [ male announcer ] now get 50% off brake pads and shoes at meineke. comedian and actor jim carrey is officially at war with fox news. let's discuss what is going on in our strategy session. joining us, the democratic strategist donna brazile and also the republican strategist ron bonjean. guys, thanks very much. he did a video poking fun, doing it to a certain degree about the former nra president charleston heston the great actor. it's gotten 2 million hits already on youtube. we had it earlier in the week. i'll play a little clip.
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♪ and coyotes only the devil's true devotees could profiteer from pain and fear charlton heston movies are no longer in demand and his immortal soul lay forever in the sand ♪ >> all right. so is having fun a the expense of charleston heston. his argument was, he wanted to deal with a sensitive issue, gun control. he supports more gun control. fox news at least some of the contributors there really went after him. he has now issued a statement saying, he watched the channel in his words bare its fangs and viciously slander me because of my stand against large magazines and assault rifles. i sincerely believe that in time good people will lose patience with the petty and poisonous behavior of these bullies. is his angry reaction to fox news and the criticism that he got from them appropriate? what's going on? >> i think it is a little bit of a crazy reaction. frankly the video wasn't very
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funny at all but that aside -- >> funny is in the eye of the beholder. 2 million people have watched it. >> i think it is probably because of the argument more so than the video content. look. jim carrey can believe what he want to believe on gun safety but i think fox news took umbrage with the fact he was making fun of southerners and people who own guns. these are not the people causing the crimes. >> first of all i think jim carrey is a fine actor and great comedian. he makes me laugh. i didn't see the video until the controversy. one thing that stood out several months ago right after the massacre in newtown is that jim carrey went public very strongly about assault weapons and assault rifles and he believes that they have no place on our streets. he twoonwants to protect kids. he has every right to make a great video. i wish i had 2 million followers. >> i know you have a lot of followers on twitter. are you disappointed it looks right now like the president's ambitious plan to deal with assault style weapons, to deal with these magazines, those
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positions probably are not going anywhere, maybe, maybe he'll be able to achieve some expanded background checks? but politically, the other more ambitious gun control measures are probably going to die? you know this is a step by step process and senator chuck schumer is out there, still trying to corral the votes with tom coburn and senator joe manchant of west virginia still trying to get the votes together. might have the votes on universal background checks, gun safety measures for schools. but on the assault weapons ban something senator feinstein is promoting, they are still look forgue votes. >> you were in the house of representatives and you worked there as a staff assistant for many years. what do you think is going to pass this time? >> the best thing that could happen out of there is background checks. that is the most likely thing that could ever happen. >> it depends on the size and scope of the background check and see what comes out of the house of representatives. >> universal background checks to make sure people who buy guns at gun shows or through private sales or whatever, they -- these individuals have to go through
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some sort of check? >> i support that more than the other provisions, you know, that have been proposed by the president and administration. if i were jim carrey i'd paut video on pressuring senate democrats to pass something stronger. i don't know why he is going after the nra or southern democrats with guns. >> there are a lot of southern democrats up for re-election next year from let's call them pro gun states if you will. they don't want anything to do with this. they're nervous. >> that's why having joe manchant out there, a red state democrat, you know, work with his colleagues. that is very important. but you know as a southerner and somebody who supports the second amendment i believe we can have honest, good gun safety measures that will protect our children and our families without taking away the rights of gun owners, responsible gun own,to keep their weapons. >> thanks for coming in. just ahead the chief jus ti
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tice of the united states john roberts is now the latest victim of a serious crime that affects millions of americans. you know, other countries have couches exactly like yours.
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well, not exactly like yours.
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the white house advance team tries to choreograph every step of president obama's travel. that includes the back drops for his speeches. but they can't control the wind. they apparently tried to cover up the logo of the foreign company that made the cranes behind where president obama spoke at port miami today but heavy winds blew loose a u.s. flag revealing the chinese letters in a logo. awkward. it is a problem plaguing potentially millions of americans every year.
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credit card fraud. now the chief justice of the united states john roberts has become one of the latest victims. let's bring in lisa sylvester. she's got details. serious problem but you would think the chief justice of the united states would not necessarily have this problem. >> i know. it isn'ting you hear about every day. a member of a high court a victim of a crime but having your credit card use bide someone else is more common than you think. there are more than 1 million fraud complaints reported to authorities each year. it doesn't seem to matter who you are. you can still be a victim even if you are the chief justice of the united states. the supreme court has confirmed that someone recently racked up charges on john roberts' credit card. roberts went to his local starbucks earlier this week but instead of using plastic like he normally does he paid cash explaining to the barista why he had to cancel his card.
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it goes to show you. >> credit card fraud is very common. and it's often -- now called identity theft. or identity fraud. but it's, you know, the old fashioned someone steals your credit card. >> reporter: we asked random people if it happened to them and came across christine pelosi. minority leader nancy pelosi's daughter who has also been a victim of fraud. >> well at the same time i was using my card in california someone was using my card in ohio. >> reporter: and crooks can be very inventive. in omaha, nebraska thieves stole credit card numbers right from a gas station using this called a skimmer, a duplicate card reader that can be easily and quickly installed on a gas pump. here are some ways to protect yourself. avoid doing your online banking at a cafe. it's easier for hackers to gain private information using an open wireless network. carry your credit cards somewhere else other than your wallet. it can save you if your wallet or purse are stolen. don't believe empty tip or total lines on a receipt. instead, draw a line through
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them. go paperless with your billing so you don't get paper statements sitting in your mail box. and finally, don't fall victim to phishing scams by giving out personal information. >> don't give up your credit card number to someone who contacts you. that is one of the biggest -- we've done a lot of reporting on fraud and scams and such and one of the best ways to protect yourself is whenever someone else initiates contact with you whether through the phone, by e-mail, by text message, someone knocking on your door, and if they want information from you, be suspicious. don't give it to them. >> now, most of us already know this but it does bear repeating. review your statements regularly. if you find something a little fishy, wolf, that people should report it, right away just be careful. be careful. >> always good advice. >> thank you. coming up, is sarah palin getting called out for railing against some of the big
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political consultants? we'll show you what new documents are revealing. plus, president obama heads to florida to talk jobs. also, the talk about basketball. automatically filter amount of light. the way it's meant to be seen. maybe even a little better. experience life well lit, adaptive lenses. vision center today transitions xtractive lenses enhance your vision. a guide to good dipping. carrots. yes. celery. cool. chicken wings. it's actually very good. crackers... delicious. sabra hummus. dip life to the fullest. it's lots of things. all waking up. connecting to the global phenomenon
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sarah palin railed against political consultants when she went up before the faithful at the conservative political action conference recently. >> the next election is 20 months away. now is the time to furlough the consultants, and send the focus group home and toss the political scripts. because if we truly know what we
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believe we don't need professionals to tell us. >> joining us now, cnn contributor john avalon, a cnn contributor, and a senior political columnist for "newsweek" pand "the daily beast." john, you discovered it's not so simple when it comes to palin, money, consultants. what did you dig up? >> there's a big irony alert that should be posted over her speech now. in addition to it being a well-written speech by a speechwriter, the filings for her pact is that the vast amount of the money raised and spent in the last election cycle was on consultants. it did not go to candidates. less than $300,000 went to candidates. she spent more on her top consultant than the candidates she doled out money to. there are consultants for every issue imaginable. they think they're getting political action. what they're really doing is feeding a whole subcategory of
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an industry out there, partisan economy. >> what were the consultants doing over there? what were they working for? >> it is stunning to go through line by line. if you want to find out the truth about politics, follow the money. there are consultants for -- called issue consultants, management consultants, logic tick al consultants, and grass roots outreach consultants. which sounds like an oxymoron. i thought that didn't mean you didn't need a consultant to tell you how to do it, especially from sarah palin's perspective. and the typical travel and printing costs that come out of a pac. almost $1 million in postage. but the millions that sarah palin raised through her share went to the candidates. the vast majority went to consultants. >> in her last ad from her pac, she's portrayed as a are gop kingmaker, if you will. i'll play a little clip.
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>> sarah palin jumped in early and supported rand paul. she supported marco rubio, jeff blake and myself. >> the next election is 20 months away. the last thing we need is washington, d.c., vetting our candidates. >> how much influence does she really have these days, within the gop? >> it's diminished. you can see that just from the money the pac raised. a lot of the spigot of money really dried up. but there's no question, sarah palin is an influencer, especially in the conservative populous movement. very popular among the base. now she's trying to portray herself as the kingmaker. she's asking for money for cara pac. it's a reminder of a great movements begin as a cause, become a bush administration and end
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endf -- business and end up as a racket. >> john, thanks very much. >> thank you, wolf. more than 200 people are rescued from sheets of ice off the latvian coast. and other top stories in the situation room right now. what do you have, lisa? >> emergency officials say the ice floes broke off from the coast and were blown into the gulf, more than 150 people had to be carried to safety by boat. dozens of others by helicopter. a cnn forecaster said ice is more likely to break from the shore p as temperatures rise in the spring. take a look at this. you have terrifying video of a pickup dangling from a guardrail in alabama. the truck was apparently traveling in the wrong direction when it hit two other vehicles. the driver was pinned inside but rescue crews were able to get that person down safely. two people were sent to the hospital. pope francis pe sided over
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his first good friday service as head of the catholic church today. one of the most important days of the christian calendar. the reading of the traditional lord's passion is echoing in roman catholic churches around the world. holy week celebrations will culminate with sunday's easter mass. new york city is appealing a judge's decision to scrap mayor michael bloomberg's on large sodas calling it an important part of the mayor's health initiative. the board would limit the size of drinking cups for sugary beverages to a maximum 16 ounces at city food service establishments. >> lisa, thank you. the white house has unveiled the guest list for monday's 135th annual easter egg roll. there's plenty of star power included. you shouldn't be surprised. among those people participating, in the events promoting hlth andwellness, the youngest ever oscar best actress. the cast of sesame street, nascar's danica patrick, nfl mvp
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adrian peterson of the vikings, and of course, my favorite, washington wizards. that's the best of all. the best nba team in the nation's capital. signs that texas might be on the target list of north korea. the dentist are office that may have been a perfect storm for hepatitis and hiv infections. thousands of people are worried now. up next, president obama flew down to florida to talk jobs. he also talked sports and what has now become the center of the basketball universe, at least tonight. the kyocera torque lets you hear and be heard
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has never been stronger. ...and we inspected his brakes for free. -free is good. -free is very good. [ male announcer ] now get 50% off brake pads and shoes at meineke. president obama was in miami today to talk about jobs, but he also spoke about basketball. >> i've got to get into a sticky subject right off the bat. i know you guys aren't happy with my chicago bulls. but, i just want you to know the heat are going to be just fine. they're going to be okay. they are playing basketball the right way. the hurricanes, they had a great
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season. no, no, they deserve a big round of applause. tonight you've got florida, and florida gulf coast going at it. are let's face it, florida is the center of basketball right now. >> florida gulf coast, of course, is this year's march madness cinderella team. we'll be watching the game tonight. happening now, north korea strong man reveals his secret plan for attacking the united states mainland. his shocking targets. thousands of dental patients start rushing to get tested for hiv and hepatitis as sickening details emerge. a convicted rapist nabbed after three decades. you're going to find out how police caught him hiding in plain sight.
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-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com you're in "the situation room." strong man kim jong-un spelled out his potential targets on a map during an emergency meeting with his generals. one of those targets, austin, texas. yes, texas. raising the question, should the u.s. military take kim jung un seriously. >> let's bring in chris lawrence. he's doing serious reporting on this. what are you hearing, chris? >> wolf, a lot of people in texas right now have to be wondering, how in the world did we end up on any sort of target list with a bull's-eye. u.s. officials aren't concerned about austin, but they are very worried about this escalating
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rhetoric. look past the picture of kim jong-un putting north korean rockets on standby inside his military command. there's a chart marked, u.s. mainland strike plan, with missile trails aiming at hawaii, california, d.c., and for some reason, austin, texas. it's wishful thinking on pyongyang's part. they can't reach the u.s. yet. but tens of thousands of american troops are well within range of a more limited strike, something short of an all-out attack. >> i think it's more in the sense of north korea kind of getting up to the edge, stumbling and then falling over the edge. >> reporter: former ambassador chris hill said the real danger is the north shelling of border islands, like it did in 2010. hill says there's a wild card here that worries the u.s. are kim jong-un's desire to prove himself as a leader. >> i think the north koreans
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have their doubts whether this kid is really up to this. >> reporter: so far, pentagon officials say the north's rhetoric has not been matched by any actual military moves. but it has no foreseeable end game, and could go on for a while. north koreans protested on the streets one day after the u.s. flew long-range stealth bombers on a training run, coming within 50 miles of north korea's border. some say although the flights may reassure south korea of u.s. protection, it could lead to unintended consequences. >> china viewing this as alarming escalation, and the north koreans almost received a validation in terms of their missile development program. >> a defense official tells us there was intense debate on whether to send the b-2s all the way up to the white house in the senior levels of the national security council. he says they considered a full range of options with some
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suggesting the u.s. do more than just fly that b-2, and others suggesting it should do less. wolf? >> what about austin, texas? why austin, texas? any analysis on that front? >> no one knows, wolf. the local officials there, the regional intelligence officials say they've been in touch with the federal government, just in case. but some folks in austin are sort of having a little bit of fun with this. they came out with a top ten list of reasons north korea would want to bomb austin. everything from are apocalypse to the fact that kim jong-un may be a little jealous for rick perry's desire to rule forever as a beloved leader. >> at least they're having a little fun with that. chris, thank you. >> yeah. now to oklahoma, where thousands of dental patients may have been exposed to hiv and hepatitis. this is a story we've been following since yesterday evening. we're learning more about the dentist's office that's being described as a perfect storm for
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dangerous infections. and hearing from a patient at risk. susan candiotti is in tulsa this evening. susan, these details scare anyone. >> reporter: oh, yeah. well, imagine, kate, imagine being one of 7,000 patients who might be infected with hiv or hepatitis, after a trip to the dentist. i mean, authorities here are calling dr. scott harrington a men nesace to public health. imagine, no wonder so many people are worried. not many people jump for joy when it's time to go to the dentist. colton scott now has more reasons than others to are nervous about his dentist. scott said he had his wisdom teeth removed last year by dr. harrington. and just found he may have contracted an infectious disease during the extraction. his mom and two other relatives went there, too. >> that's the last thing in the
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world you're going to think in getting your wisdom teeth taken out, getting exposed to hiv or hepatitis. >> reporter: his dentist, dr. scott harrington, came under suspicion after a different patient was diagnosed with hiv and hepatitis c. investigators for oklahoma's board of den trtistry said what they found was enough to turn their stomachs. >> whe were physically sick. that's how bad. i've seen a lot of bad stuff over the years. >> reporter: inspectors came up with so much bad stuff, they filed 17 violations which inclu included allegations harrington was using expired drugs. one was dated 1993. even though he used morphine until 2012, none has been delivered since 2009. failing to test sterilized equipment. the autoclave is supposed to be tested monthly, but apparently
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wasn't for six years. unlicensed dental assistants administering sedation. risking contamination by reinserting needles into the same vial. and get this, using rust idea instruments inside a patient's mouth. are. >> the instruments that came out of the autoclave were horrible. i wouldn't let my nephews play with them out in the dirt. they were horrible. they had rust on them. >> the conditions so questionable, patients need to be tested now. and on saturday, here at the tulsa health department, free screenings will begin for hepatitis b, c and hiv. >> as many persons who may be infected with these blood-borne viruses, may be infected for years without experiencing any signs of illness. >> reporter: a scary possibility. dr. harrington has seen at least 7,000 patients since 2007. there are many more, but records only go back that far. cnn has been unable to reach the doctor, or his lawyer. he has not been charged with a
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crime, but officials say he has surrendered his dental license. colton scott is nervous. >> we're all very concerned, and, you know, apprehensive. >> now, the risk of exposure is said to be rather low. and it's important to keep in mind that in 36 years, authorities say dr. harrington has a clean record. but remember, his specialty involves oral surgery, and extractions. so a lot of his patients are very nervous. that's why the health department wants to get these health screenings under way as soon as possible. but the test results are going to take two to three weeks. and that's going to be a very nervous waiting time, two to three weeks, imagine, a lot of people will be waiting to, hear. >> dealing with the shock of what they're hearing, the news they're hearing from their dentist office today. susan candiotti, in tulsa, thank you. the parcel service will give
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up $40 million it got from online pharmacies selling drugs without valid prescriptions. in an agreement with prosecutors, u.p.s. will also take steps to help curb the sale and shipment of drugs sold through illegal internet pharmacies. another wall street money man facing serious charges in a widening investigation of what's called insider trading. michael steinberg was arrested at his park avenue home today. we're joined by zain asher, she's got the details. what happened, zain? >> wolf, michael steinberg is one of the seniors to be arrested over insider trading. it typically starts with the more junior people and they work up the food chain. the big question now is, are the feds starting to zero in on the billionaire that heads the company, steven a. cohen himself. on a day that started at his park avenue home in handcuffs,
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michael steinberg left court free on $3 million bail. hr. >> any comment? >> the wall street trader at s.a.c. capital is accused of insider trading, illegally using inside information to make $6 million for his company. did greed get the better of him? steinberg pleaded not guilty and his lawyer says he did nothing wrong. >> michael steinberg is part of the inner circle with steve cohen, who is one of the richest men in the world. >> reporter: cohen the founder and namesake of s.a.c. capital. investigators have been looking at him closely. so far, nine people have been arrested at his firm. earlier this month, the company agreed to pay more than $600 million in a government settlement. the largest in history. the judge still hasn't decided if he should accept it. >> the government's now just one step away from mr. steve cohen, if the government thinks that they have a case against him. >> reporter: but cohen's lavish
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lifestyle continues. within days of the settlement he bought this picasso for $155 million. one of the most expensive art sales ever. and reportedly a new mansion on the beach. >> perhaps mr. cohen has things normal in his life, or perhaps he's feeling some stress. but he wants to convey to the public that everything's okay, so he goes and spends $150 million on a painting and tens of millions of dollars on a mansion in the hamptons. >> the firm agreed to a $600 million settlement. the judge is asking, why would they agree to take such a large amount if they've done nothing wrong. the firm said they just want to close the chapter on this. it appears this saga may drag on for quite some time. >> i suspect it will. zain, thank you very much. a long-time fugitive escaped capture until now. he's asking police how they found him. a reality tha could become all too familiar.
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a convicted rapist lived in freedom for three decades, even marrying and settling down in maine. but finally police caught up with the man. in massachusetts. one of the most dangerous and wanted fugitives. cnn's mary snow has been following this. it's an incredible story, mary. >> it really is, kate. and it really shocked just about everyone. a search took the police across the country over the years. just before the arrest detectives had even gone to florida to pursue a lead. but wednesday night, their trail took them to an unassuming home outside portland, maine. this is the man police say eluded them for 34 years with countless tips going nowhere. gary allen irving they say went on the lam in 1978 after being convicted of raping three young women. he took off after a judge postponed his sentencing and gave him a weekend to collect
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his things. this had been the last known photo police had of irving. he became one of massachusetts's most wanted fugitives. that changed wednesday when police showed up at his house in maine. they found him hiding in plain sight with his name on the door. authorities say they found the 52-year-old irving watching tv with his wife and grandchild. and asked officers, how did you find me? >> his wife appeared are like she was in a state of shock. she was very cooperative. seemed to be a very nice lady. and for all intents and purposes, they seemed to be a nice couple that were just living here in downtown. >> reporter: inside the home police say they found several guns. irving had slightly altered his name, using greg instead of gary, and changed his birth date. neighbors noticed nothing remarkable. >> always pleasant, nice. always liked him. you never know who's living next door, i guess. >> reporter: irving lived with his wife and family roughly 130
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miles from where the terrifying attacks happened. >> individuals hiding in the bushes, grabbing people at night, dragging them into the bushes and raping them. >> reporter: norfolk county district attorney michael morrissey who is prosecuting the case wouldn't specify what led police to maine after all these years. he said the case heated up in the last three to four months and credits good old-fashioned police work, and said victims had been notified of irving's arrest. >> one of the victims had said to the victim advocate who works on the case is, they were extremely relieved, finally realized this person had been and will be put behind bars and facing sentencing. >> now, authorities in both maine and massachusetts say they plan to use dna analysis, and reexamine unresolved cases to see whether there are any links to more. kate? >> amazing to think of those victims who have been dealing with this now for 34 years.
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and finally, they may get some justice. mary, thanks so much. we also have new details in a story that you saw first right here in "the situation room." a u.s. army veteran indicted for allegedly conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction while fighting with rebels in syria. now we're finding out several americans may be thinking of joining that fight as well. cnn's foreign affairs correspondent jill dougherty is in baltimore with the story for us. what's the latest, jill? >> well, you know, one of the concerns, wolf, you know this very well, the situation in syria is very chaotic. among the rebels who are fighting against the government, there are also some members of terrorist organizations. so u.s. officials are concerned that this could become a recruitment tool for terrorist organizations. matthew van dyke just came back from syria. he was making a film in support of the rebels fighting against president bashar al assad.
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>> i'm wanted by the regime. there's also security threats. it's a very dangerous situation. but i'll be going back. >> reporter: van dyke has fought before with the rebels in libya. he shows me his libyan military card. he searched as infantryman and heavy machine gunner. >> i believe in self-determination. i believe people should be able to choose their own leaders. >> reporter: it's believed some americans have joined the fight. though nobody can say how many, one, eric harroun, was charged this week for fighting against the syrian government on the side of a designated terrorist group. while the u.s. wants assad out, it doesn't want syria to be a recruitment tool for jihadists. >> it's always a concern when terrorist networks in that part of the world, or elsewhere, seek to recruit americans, whether in the military or not. >> do you know any other americans fighting in syria?
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>> i don't know of any. i've been contacted by a lot. i've received 20 to 30 e-mails from americans who want to go fight in syria. most of them are ex-military, and most of them are ex-u.s. marines. they want me to take them to syria. it's not something i'm interested in doing. >> reporter: van dyke said harroun's belief system is not the same as his. >> i was not running around with a terrorist organization, big difference. >> reporter: he saw the access to weapons and ammunition. >> if they keep shooting in the right direction at assad's forces, it doesn't bother me too much. i don't have any relationship with them whatsoever. this is the lock off my prison cell. >> reporter: in baltimore where he lives, matthew van dyke looks at the lock that secured the door to the prison cell in libya where he spent nearly six months. will he richk it again in syria? >> i will probably fight in syria before the war's over.
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>> so, why would some americans want to fight in syria? well, van dyke says some are ex-military, some are thrill-seekers, and still others are syrian-americans who want to fight for the freedom of their country. >> jill dougherty with that story. i expect we'll get more in the days and weeks to come. thank you very much. still hay head, new information about nelson mandela's condition. he's been ailing. the latest how he's doing in the hospital. and a very different story. no condoms on campus. why one college is saying no. ♪ (train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities.
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dozens of people, including children are now missing after a building collapses. kate's got that, and some of the day's other top stories. >> sad, wolf. at least four people are dead
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and 60 others are missing after a 16-story building collapsed in tanzania's largest city. it fell on top of a soccer field where children often play. five children are believed to be among complete recovery. up next, a shoe hurled at pervez musharraf. as well as the death threats against him. the best highway fuel economy of any gas engine in america. that's american ingenuity. to find new roads.
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a disgraced former president now back home, facing criminal charges. >> stand by for my exclusive interview with pervez musharraf, in pakistan right now. just hours after appearing in court. but first, a look at his return. the threats against his life. and the insults being thrown his way. pervez musharraf said he's come home to pakistan po clear his name. run for president again, and in his words, save the country. his return has prompted celebrations, protests, including a shoe hurled at him on his way to court today. before he left for pakistan, musharraf told me he was willing to risk imprisonment and even death. >> you have to take that amount of risk if you want to move forward in a certain direction that you have set yourself for. >> reporter: once a crucial ally of the united states in the war on terror, musharraf has been a wanted man since fleeing pakistan nearly five years ago
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after his fall from power, and his refusal to answer the allegations against him. the 69-year-old former president faces all sorts of charges. including illegally detaining judges and their families. he's also accused of not doing enough to protect the former prime minister who was assassinated in 2007. now, musharraf's only life is in danger. are. >> you can see the death squad around me. >> reporter: just before his return, militants posted a video openly threatening to send a death squad to kill him. a former president of pakistan pervez musharraf is joining us now from karachi. mr. president, some of the reports out today said a bystander hurled a shoe at you as you were heading into the court. some members of the crowd angry with you.
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tell us what happened. >> mainly the crowd was supporters. they were surrounding me. mainly the crowd was cheering for me. there was some p who were against me, but they were overpowered by my supporters. the slogans, and outside, was all in my support. >> did the shoe actually get close to you? did it hit you? >> no. i didn't even see it. i didn't even see it. there was nothing that hit me. i was told that somebody hurled something. but later on they told me, they were around me, there were hundreds of people who are my supporters. i think later on i was told that the man was overpowered and got a beating or something. but i don't know who threw what. i didn't know at all. >> how worried are you, mr. president, about your personal safety? how worried are you, bottom line, for your life right now?
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>> well, athere is a security concern, no doubt. but the security i've been provided here, i've been telling them, it's too much of security, too many people when i move around. too much of -- i think the security is certainly more than i expected. >> the pakistani taliban, as you know, they've declared that they are sending what they call a death squad to kill you. there was a bombing today in northwest pakistan. how seriously do you take this threat of a death squad out to get you from the pakistani taliban? >> wolf, are i need to take it very seriously that they have sent a death squad. but if you remember, i've been getting these threats for nine years, since 9/11. >> no second thoughts on your part, you did the right thing as far as you're concerned? you're now in pakistan.
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are you saying that you did the right thing, right? >> well, i think i did. other than politics, this is my country. and i know that there's no case against me. i know all the cases are trumped-up, politicized cases. so i tell myself, what am i staying outside? why shouldn't i go back to my country and be free to travel around the world? there's a gnawing inside my heart, that there's nothing wrong that i did, but being accused of what others have done and they're trying to put the blame on me. but let right prevail. let truth prevail. and let's not lie and falsehood be victorious against truth. >> is most of the security around you people that you personally have hired, or government-provided security? >> the government is supposed to provide security to all
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ex-presidents and ex-prime ministers. in fact, the latest group is led by the government, even to retired ministers. so i expect certainly to have security, as written down according to the rules of pakistan. and i think until now, i have been provided that security. i don't have anything against that. >> you appeared before the justice today in the courtroom. you're a former president of pakistan. how humiliating was this for you? what was it like to be in this courtroom, hearing these charges read against you today? >> well, it was -- this is the first time, wolf, that i ever entered a courtroom in my life. and if i was to be very frank with you on my feelings, if you want to know my feelings, the first feeling when i stand up --
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i did seem a little somehow insulted, a little humiliated. but then i started thinking to myself that i have been saying that everyone is equal in the eyes of the law. so i thought to myself, i have been saying this, the law applies to me also. >> the justices, they granted you a bail extension, that you're obviously, you don't have to go into jail right now, but if you wanted to, wouldn't you be allowed during this legal proceeding to leave the country, to go back to london or dubai, for example? >> well, i can leave of the country anytime. i have been given bail before arrest, for 21 days. >> do you trust the judicial
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system there? you're obviously out on bail right now. but what would happen if they were to throw you in jail? >> well, one has to face all the consequences. i know, my conviction is, there is nothing against me. and there were warrants issued, for my nonappearance in of the court. now when i appeared on the cases in the court, there shouldn't be a reason for my arrest. and we should proceed with the cases. and as far as the cases are concerned, they are politicized and there's nothing against me. from all points -- from any point of view, there's nothing against me. so with that conviction, i'll face the courts. >> president musharraf, thanks very much for joining us. hochfully we'll stay in close touch in the coming days. >> thank you very much, wolf. i look forward to it. >> i told him before he left washington, to go back, that i
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suspect he's going to wind up in jail or worse. he said, if that's the will of god, that's the will of god. >> let's hope not. great interview, though, wolf. still coming up, a university just says no to are campuses handing out condoms. a former supermodel.
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a clash between same sex and religious values at a major catholic university. students in boston college have been told by the school to stop handing out condoms. our senior medical correspondent, elizabeth cohen, is in boston.
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>> reporter: wolf, catholic doctrine doesn't support contraception, but for some boston college students, that teaching isn't resonating. boston college, a deeply catholic institution, where crosses don't go well with condoms. >> male condoms, female condoms. >> reporter: condom distribution and in dorm rooms. if you're in need of condoms, you may knock on one of these doors and just ask, the website said. >> we go through almost 2,000 condoms every semester for students that need them. it is very much an important need here. >> reporter: that is getting these students in trouble. boston college sent this letter to the students demanding they stop distributing condoms here. the letter said it isn't in concert with the mission of boston college as a catholic and jesuit university. and if you don't stop, they said, there could be disciplinary action.
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jack dunn is a spokesman for boston college. you know the students here are having sex. >> right. and if students want to purchase condoms, and they want to have them available for their private lives, that's their business. our issue is, don't try to publicly distribute condoms on our church stems, on our campus, through our dormitories. >> reporter: he was approached while coming out of a church service. >> a student from this group attempted to hand me a condom. it was inappropriate. i told them, really? do you really need to do that? >> reporter: but she said the group has never distributed on campus except in dorm rooms. this isn't the only high-profile condom dispute on a college campus. stone hill college in massachusetts confiscated condoms handed out for free in dormitories. dunn hopes to work this all out when kids come back to campus after easter break.
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but she said this is a health issue, stopping unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, and even if b.c. threatens to yank her diploma this spring, she won't stop. >> the work we're doing is invaluable. that will not compromise what we're doing in any way. >> reporter: the boston college spokesman said if distributing condoms had just been more discreet, this never would have happened. plus, he said this is boston, there are plenty of places to get condoms. students don't have to get them here on campus. >> elizabeth cohen, interesting story. >> very interesting. not over yet. we probably won't find out the u.s. supreme court's decision on the same-sex marriage indications it heard this week until at least the end of june. >> conservative radio talk show host rush limbaugh said it doesn't matter what the supreme court decides. >> this issue is lost. i don't care what the supreme court does. this is now inevitable. once we started talking about gay marriage, traditional
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marriage, opposite-sex marriage, same-sex marriage, hetero marriage, we lost. it was over. it was just a matter of time. >> the political reality is personified in the legal odd couple at the center of one of these cases. attorneys david boyd and ted olson spoke to gloria borger. gloria is here. gloria, you've been working really hard on this big piece. it is documentary. tell the viewers, why did these two join forces? >> after they fought against each other in bush versus gore in the year 2000, decided that election, they became really good friends. and ted olson, the conservative, was first called for this case. then he picked up the phone, and he called his friend david. and listen to what david said about it. >> in the very beginning, there was a curiosity factor. >> the odd couple? >> the odd couple getting together. which i think actually served us well.
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this is an issue in which, if you pay attention to the issue, if you think about the issue, i think you can only come out one way. the challenge sometimes is to get people to think about the issue. and i think that one of the things that are kind of novelty odd couple status did was attracted people to listen to us. in the first place. and to begin to think about this issue, in ways that they hadn't thought about it before. >> so it was really great public relations, obviously. they want this to be seen as a bipartisan issue. quite good for fund-raising for them because these kinds of cases are very expensive to mount. particularly when you have the two lawyers, i can't imagine what their hourly fees are. >> two of the best lawyers in the country. but on the same side this time. >> hard to tell how they'll decide. we'll find out in june. gloria, thanks so much. catch gloria's great documentary, the marriage warriors, showdown at the supreme court, airs tomorrow night, 7:30 eastern, right here
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on cnn. >> we'll all be watching. up next, the power couple at the center of the cinderella story, the coach of florida gulf coast university and his wife. they'll be here. they're joining us to talk about march madness. [ female announcer ] what if the next big thing, isn't a thing at all? it's lots of things. all waking up. connecting to the global phenomenon we call the internet of everything. ♪ it's going to be amazing. and exciting. and maybe, most remarkably, not that far away.
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the team that shocked the entire country twice is at it again later tonight. florida gulf coast university takes on its intrastate big brother, the university of florida. in the sweet 16 over at the ncaa tournament. >> amazing. the players aren't the only part of this amazing story. gulf coast coach and his wife
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who is a former model, everyone doesn't forget that part, has also captured the nation's attention. the couple sat down with our cnn sports anchor rachael nichols. >> you guys actually it sounds like have the ncaa tournament to thank for your entire marriage. is that right? >> you could say that, yes. yes. i was going up to boston to see oklahoma state play in the tournament. and instead of flying, my friend, i was going with knew andy and he -- we found out he was driving. so we just bummed a ride and here we are. >> he was a cheap ride? >> he was a cheap ride. i didn't have to pay for that one. >> you didn't make her pay for gas or anything like that? >> no, i was happy to pick that tab up. >> your first date, i heard, was basketball as well. and you went for the smooth move of also taking her to taco bell? come on, i have to ask you, what were you thinking? >> i figured if it was meant to be, she wouldn't mind a
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burritto. what did you have? a soft taco? >> it's so long ago now. it's hard to remember. >> and you were a successful model. what did your modelling career mean to you at that point? >> well, it was -- i loved it. it was a great experience. i got to travel and meet amazing people. and kind of, i guess, you could say it helped me meet andy. and, you know, i enjoyed it. >> so that's, of course, begs the question, what made you decide to give it up to become a coach's wife? >> well, i love basketball and we had that in common. and we wanted to have kids. we wanted to -- he wanted to get back into coaching full time. i loved the idea. and it was just good timing when i was about to have my daughter when i had her. >> so have you thought about sort of i know you're in the middle of all this, but there has been so much attention on your family. i'm sure people have given, you know, you guys a lot of opportunities and people approaching you. have you thought about going back into modelling?
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have you thought about anything else you guys want to do? >> right now, i think what's on our minds so much really at least mine is the team and what they've -- what they've accomplished. and i don't think i really have time to think about that. and right now, i just want to be a mom and take my kids to the games. >> and joining us now is cnn's new sports anchor rachael nichols in washington to cover the awesome ncaa tournament. so when you see this part of the interview, you do get the sense maybe not surprisingly that they're a little uncomfortable with the limelight. >> well, i think one of the things -- he's the most uncomfortable with is he has this beautiful wife, three kids and, yeah, he likes the fact she had a successful modelling career. but as he put it to me, she's the model a lot of clothes, too. she did hair commercials. >> you know how the
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internetwor internetworks. andy, you're a college coach. you have a lot of teenage hormonal boys who play for you. you know how google search works. how do you handle that? he said you laugh it off and it's okay. they know amanda, of course, is the woman you saw in that i interview. i'm sure his players, they don't mind who is rooting for them in the stands. >> yeah. >> how are the kids doing with all the attention? >> i think they like it. it's going to be so interesting to see how they go into this game tonight. it's one thing when you're the little tiny school and there's all these schools in the tournament. no one is really paying attention to you. you win your first game and that's nice. still, you know, it's only 48 hours until the next game and all this other stuff going on. then all of a sudden you get out of that first weekend and the media descends. and they give you more attention than you've ever had in your entire life. and the school you're about to play knows that you're coming now. they know to expect you. it's going to be interesting to see how those kids handle it going on that court. >> we all love the cinderella
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story. when you look at what they're up against, do you think they can continue this run? >> it's going to be hard. look, obviously we didn't think that they would win the games that they won. who predicted that? the school vice president was on cnn earlier today. he said oh, i pick them in my bracket. i would like to see that bracket. because i'm not sure that they did. >> might have been some eraser marks. >> i know when they tried to scrimmage florida before the season, they were such a small school. >> a lot of people watching this game tonight including all of us. >> no question. >> thanks very much. >> i'll be at the elite eight game tomorrow here. >> yes, keep rubbing it in. i'll be watching it on television. >> you're indiana. >> i can't talk about it. if you notice tears running down my face today -- >> they didn't do well. >> miami didn't do well either. >> miami didn't do well. it's been a very interesting -- >> your brackets are -- >> my bracket is over. i had indiana winning the whole
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thing. obviously, hometown. it's not happening. >> the absence of me winning the way i want to win, i love a cinderella story. >> if they go all the way, then georgetown will have some consolation that the team they lost to in the first round is the champion. >> duke city. >> we would like to see that. so up next, well, unfortunately this is very bittersweet moment for me. i have to say good-bye to -- >> good-bye. >> not yet. to this guyment he's ready to kick me off already. we'll be back right after this. copd makes it hard to breathe,
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we were telling our viewers, tonight is your last show. >> if you indulge me, we don't like to get sappy. i do have to thank you, wolf. your friendship on and off camera has meant so much to me. everything that you and lyn have done for michael and i has meant the world, your guidance, your patience with me, it means everything. none of this would have b